I am thrilled to be included in the CCAR’s newest publication, The Sacred Encounter: Jewish Perspectives on Sexuality,edited by Rabbi Lisa Grushcow. My article is Chapter 20, and is entitled “To Ordain or Not to Ordain: The Tale of the CCAR Committee on Homosexuality and the Rabbinat﻿e,” focusing on how the CCAR decided to ordain gay and lesbian rabbis.

"To Ordain or Not to Ordain," Chapter 20 in The Sacred Encounter: Jewish Perspectives on Sexuality

From the CCAR website:﻿"This wide-ranging anthology takes a close look at the breadth of human sexuality from a Jewish perspective. The essays begin with a look at biblical and rabbinic views on sexuality, and then proceed to explorations of sexuality at different moments in the life cycle, sexuality and the marital model, diverse expressions of sexuality, examples of sexuality education, the nexus of sexuality and theology, and the challenges of contemporary sexual ethics. The Sacred Encounter: Jewish Perspectives on Sexuality is a thought-provoking and important Jewish resource. Perfect for personal study, or for high school or adult classes."﻿

Today, openly gay and lesbian rabbis serve congregations all over the country. To the youngest generations, it may seem as though the Reform congregations and institutions have always been open and inclusive, regardless of a rabbi’s sexual identity or orientation. Yet, there is always a history behind the status quo, and this is the case regarding the Reform Movement’s decision to ordain openly gay and lesbian rabbis. How did the Reform Movement make its decision to ordain men and women who were open about their homosexuality? The decision-making process was long and contentious. At the center of this debate was an ad hoc subcommittee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), the CCAR Ad Hoc Committee on Homosexuality and the Rabbinate. A critical analysis of the work of this committee will shed light on the evolving nature of Reform Jewish ideology in the last decades of the twentieth century.